People

Madam Rose shaving yet another recruit’s head, a job which she has been doing for the past 15 years.

The clipper diaries For the past 15 years, she has been Pulau Tekong’s resident barber. Look closely — she might have cut your hair when you were a recruit! // STORY ONG HONG TAT / PHOTOS KENNETH LIN

he can cut your hair in any style, just as long as it is She recalled a time when a recruit from Mohawk a crew cut. With a few quick flicks of her hair clipper, Company requested a Mohawk-style haircut. “That was Sa shaved head emerges in less than 45 seconds. funny but I couldn’t do it lah. Army wants standard “It takes me and my barbers about an hour and a half for everyone.” to go through one company of about 240 recruits,” said She also does haircuts at other military bases in Madam Rose Sadiah, 56. Sembawang and even at Paya Lebar Air Base, but spends Some recruits ask her for curious hairstyles. “Every so often, most of her time at the sole barbershop on Pulau Tekong. they will say cheeky things like, ‘Aunty, can do fashion or not?’” The shop is open from Monday to Friday, from 11am said the petite woman with a mischievous glint in her eyes. to 5pm.

PIONEER JAN.2016 I 31 Madam Rose (centre) and her two part-time barbers at work, Hairy moments: Madam Rose enjoys her job on the military island giving recruits from Dragon Company the crew cut. and says that she will continue for as long as she is able to.

Starting out These days, the trainers are friendlier and they make Madam Rose had her first barbershop in the 1990s. an effort to befriend the recruits, said Madam Rose. Starting out at Circuit Road in the MacPherson area, she She said: “I’ve seen that the way of training them has moved to Hougang, where she had three shops, and then to improved, they are like family now”. Bedok. “I would go around to look for shop locations where Like any other job, there are peak and lull periods. I could make some money,” she said. Her two children, a son Her busiest period is when the military school is preparing and a daughter, would each help out at one shop. the recruits for their Graduation Parade. “The Sergeants She has especially fond memories of her shop near and Enciks will then call me to book my services.” Bedok Interchange. “It was very good business there; even For example, on her busiest day in December last year, people coming home from work at 11pm would come for she was asked to barber for seven companies. That is more a haircut.” In the first month there, the shop took in $14,000 than 1,600 heads! after deducting the $4,000 rent. Constant business Tekong-bound Compared to her shops on mainland Singapore, Madam Some of her customers were military men, and they Rose says that although she charges less (it has been $2 told her of a vacancy at the Basic Military Training Centre per haircut for recruits and $4 for staff since she started (BMTC) for a barber. “That very afternoon, I went to in 2001), the guaranteed business makes it worthwhile. MINDEF (Ministry of Defence) to fill in the forms and “I like to cut hair here because it has become familiar submit my application.” So it came to be that she started to me,” said Madam Rose. And the familiarity goes barbering on Pulau Tekong in 2001. both ways. At the photo shoot, most of the recruits head She remembers one particular new enlistee who had for her chair though there were two other barbers. very long hair. “As soon as I switched on the clippers, “Usually when I have to cut for a company, I’ll ask he started crying!” two of my part-time barbers to help me.” “Then the Encik (a warrant officer) That is why companies have to book her came over to console him. ‘Just cut services a day in advance so that she only, no need to cry’. He was still can arrange for workers to come to sobbing when I cut his hair!” she said Pulau Tekong. with a laugh. She usually shuttles between her home in western Singapore and Island life Pulau Tekong. “It can be quite tiring After spending 15 years on during the weekdays, so I really need Pulau Tekong, Madam Rose has seen the weekends to rest.” how training has changed over the years. Though the recruits are usually “In the first few years when I was here, the Tools of the trade. above 18 years old, Madam Rose Sergeants and Enciks were very stern to the affectionately calls them children. “I like recruits. They were constantly shouting at them and the work here, and I’m happy to be here with many of the boys were afraid of them.” all these children.”

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